The webinar The Latest in Dealing with Call Labeling and Screening, sponsored by TCN, examined how carriers, analytics providers, and device-level tools are increasingly flagging legitimate calls as spam. Panelists emphasized that consumer behavior has shifted—unknown numbers are now seen as potential risk—and reputation scoring for phone numbers has become central to call deliverability. As Bryce Payne noted, “A dial is no longer just a dial, it’s a deliverability event.”
Experts highlighted that dialing strategies resembling spammer behavior—such as burst activity, short call durations, or high abandon rates—quickly trigger negative labels. Michael Brunken stressed the importance of treating phone numbers as assets, not disposable tools, while Richard Rotondo underscored that trust is now the deciding factor: “The industry has moved from can this call be completed to has the caller earned enough trust for the customer to answer.”
The discussion also covered branded caller ID, remediation processes, and multi-channel engagement strategies like sending texts before or after calls to build consumer confidence. TCN introduced its Smart AMD technology, designed to improve right-party contacts by recognizing screening systems and reducing agent delays.
🧠 Key Takeaways:
- Prioritize steady dialing behavior: Avoid bursty traffic, excessive redials, and high abandon rates. Consistency in call patterns reduces spam flags and improves reputation scores.
- Leverage branding and multi-channel engagement: Use CNAM branding where available and reinforce calls with pre- or post-call texts to establish trust and improve answer rates.
- Treat phone numbers as long-term assets: Maintain a curated inventory of numbers, monitor them continuously, and remediate quickly when labels occur rather than swapping numbers frequently.
